The Lumberton Pirates will challenge the Scotland Fighting Scots at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
While Lumberton's win against St. Pauls wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Pirates sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 10-9 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won six in a row.
Jaelyn Hammond was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Leea Wilkins, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one triple.
Lumberton hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Scotland entered their tilt with Red Springs on Saturday with 17 consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with 18. They never let the Red Devils get on the board and left with a 23-0 victory. The Fighting Scots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matches by nine runs or more this season.
Scotland got a massive performance out of Dawson Blue, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. Blue is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last 12 games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Johnson, who went 4-for-5 with six RBI, two stolen bases, and three runs.
Scotland pushed their record up to 19-1 with the win, which was their ninth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Lumberton, their win bumped their record up to 10-12.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Lumberton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like Scotland struggles in that department as they've averaged .353. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lumberton came up short against Scotland in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 7-2. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
